Safety first. Not just a motto for the firefighters in Fond du Lac, WI, but also their creed for ongoing training. In 2018 they built on that principle by adding a dedicated fire training facility constructed in their city.
“Having a place specifically for training in a safe environment is critical,” says Peter O’Leary. As Fire Chief for the past 13 years over 65 uniformed members of the Fond du Lac Fire Department, O’Leary is committed to the benefits of safe training.
“I don’t know how we’ve lasted this long without The Fire Chief training structure,” says O’Leary. “I simply can’t imagine not having our own training facility in the future.”
Filling a Need
The search for a new facility started years ago. Joseph Moore, City Manager for the City of Fond du Lac, is responsible for the city budget. He identified the best fit in terms of timing and cost for adding The Fire Chief within the scope of the city’s five-year capital improvement plan.
“I was responsible for the education of the City Council, and of the public, pertaining to the additional training capability our city required,” says Moore. “We have always believed that how you train is how you operate, especially under extreme conditions. However, at the time, our training capacity and ability to train in near real life conditions was severely limited because we lacked a dedicated training facility.”
The Fire Chief structure purchased by the City of Fond du Lac stands 40-feet high and 60-feet long. It is Made in America with American steel. The tower’s residential-like design provides a burn room on the first floor, interior stairs to the multiple floors and an interior fixed ladder. There’s also roof-mounted chop-out curbs, and parapet roof guard with chain opening.
Educating the Public
After the new training structure was installed, Chief O’Leary expanded the training program to law enforcement and SWAT team members to train on The Fire Chief. Neighboring firefighters have also used the facility periodically.
To educate the public on the capabilities and benefits of The Fire Chief, O’Leary established an annual “Media Day” and has invited media members each year to experience fire training for themselves.
“Media Day gives us the opportunity to teach reporters and the public about our jobs, how we prepare to battle fires, HAZMAT incidents, confined space rescues, and other scenarios,” says O’Leary. “By hosting Media Day we build positive relations with the very people who cover our stories.
“My advice to any fire department is to host a Media Day, taking advantage of your training facility. Invite the local media out for safe educational training that you control. You’ll truly reap the benefits.”
O’Leary has another tip for fire chiefs across the county. “Come visit us or another agency with a fire training tower,” says O’Leary. “You’ll see just how versatile Fire Facilities training structures are, and the endless training possibilities they offer.”
More Tips
Moore also has advice for communities considering the acquisition of a fire training tower, and funding for a structure.
“First, focus on the need for real life training when talking with your governing bodies,” says Moore. “Second, talk about training facilities as investments rather than expenditures.
“Ultimately, training structures are an investment in protecting people’s lives and property. It’s also reasonable to frame the conversation about training facilities as a pursuit of excellence for your community.
“We’ve followed these steps. As a result, both the public and our firefighters are proud of their training facility. After all, we built it to enable firefighters and paramedics to better serve the public. That’s the type of investment everyone understands and appreciates.”
Fire Facilities, Inc. (FFI), an ISFSI corporate sponsor, manufactures a full line of steel fire training structures engineered to withstand real-life firefighting conditions. From mobile units to burn rooms to high-rise towers, FFI training models are available in a multitude of configurations. Our parent company, Trachte Building Systems, is one of the largest and oldest manufacturers of steel self-storage systems in the industry. For more information, visit www.firefacilities.com or call 800-929-3726.
FireAngel’s Head of Projects and Certification, Ian Ballinger, raises the alarm on gas safety
As the temperature continues to drop, more and more people will increase their gas appliance use from boilers to warm air heaters, cookers and fires. However, the very appliances sought for comfort and safety can place lives at risk. It is essential that gas appliances are correctly installed and maintained to reduce the dangers of leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide can kill quickly and without warning, as it cannot be seen, tasted or smelt. The hazardous gas is produced whenever a fuel is not burnt properly, caused most commonly by faulty boilers, gas fires and cookers. Last year, British Gas engineers found 26,000 unsafe or dangerous gas and electric appliances in UK homes.
A carbon monoxide alarm is the only certified source of detection, but nearly 70% of UK households are without a working carbon monoxide alarm. As millions of Britons face higher gas bills, there is a danger that a reduction in income will push regular appliance servicing and high-quality carbon monoxide alarms further down the priority list.
Social housing residents may be particularly vulnerable until new government guidance on domestic alarms is published, as local authorities and housing associations are currently not required to supply carbon monoxide alarms in properties with gas or solid fuel combustion appliances such as coal or wood burning fires and stoves. Present legalisation that applies to landlords of private residential rental properties excludes oil and gas-based boilers, despite the risk of emitting the toxic gas.
While it is clear that a change in carbon monoxide legalisation is essential, residents and landlords can take steps to support gas safety in the months ahead.
Check your gas appliances
Gas appliances should be safety checked annually and serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The register is the official list of businesses that are legally permitted to carry out gas work. Every registered business employs an engineer(s), who is issued with a Gas Safe ID card, providing a seven-digit licence number that can be checked before any work is carried out. Tenants should make sure their landlord arranges an annual gas safety visit, and reminders can be set at StayGasSafe.co.uk.
However, any fuel-burning appliances should also be visually checked by residents year-round. There is often a significant focus on maintenance, but appliances should also be reviewed at the point of sale and installation, ensuring they are accepted by recognised testing laboratories and installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Know your role
Landlords of private residential rental properties must install carbon monoxide alarms on the first day of the tenancy in any room containing an appliance that burns solid fuel. After this, tenants are responsible for regularly testing their carbon monoxide alarms and ensuring they are working effectively. This includes arranging for the replacement of batteries or alarms with the landlord. For best practice, it is recommended that landlords fit carbon monoxide alarms in rooms containing any fuel-burning appliance, not just solid fuel appliances.
Social housing associations and local authorities should be prepared to provide any additional support required once the new government guidance on domestic alarms is published. Currently, the proposed changes under review include amending the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 to require social landlords to ensure at least one smoke alarm is installed on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation.
Look out for your local community
Friends, relatives or neighbours may be unable to arrange their own gas safety check or be unaware of what they need to do to protect themselves. Ensuring loved ones have their appliances checked and serviced regularly can help to keep more people safe.
Check for warning signs
Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning may include yellow instead of blue flames coming from the gas appliance or flames that are not fully formed, black, sooty marks on the front covers of gas fires, sooty or yellow/brown stains on or around boilers, stoves or fires, increased condensation on windows or an unfamiliar or burning smell when gas or oil appliances are on.
Recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headaches, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Carbon monoxide symptoms are often described as flu-like, resulting in the risk of being mistaken for the common cold or coronavirus. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal or cause long-term health problems if victims are exposed to low doses over an extensive period.
Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm
Whilst ‘colour changing’ or ‘black spot’ tools are available to detect carbon monoxide, audible alarms are essential to indicate a problem as quickly as possible. For vulnerable tenants who may struggle to hear a standalone audible alarm, it is recommended to look for a carbon monoxide detector with interlinking technology. Wirelessly interlinking multiple alarms will ensure that if one alarm triggers, all alarms in the property will also trigger, alerting everyone in the property. FireAngel interlinked alarms also mimic the sound pattern of the triggering alarm.
For example, if a carbon monoxide alarm activates, then the smoke alarms will mimic its sound pattern. This allows the occupant to act appropriately, for example, by evacuating in the case of a fire, or by opening all the windows, turning off all fuel-burning appliances and then evacuating in the case of a carbon monoxide alarm sound pattern.
Check the alarm certifications
With the continued rise in eCommerce, some online resellers may be supplying devices that only display the CE mark. CE marking means that the manufacturer declares that the product meets European safety, health or environmental requirements.
However, it is critical that installers ensure that any carbon monoxide alarms they purchase are fully certified to the European standard EN 50291-1 and carry a third-party approval mark, such as the BSI Kitemark. BSI is a leading certification body for carbon monoxide alarms and the Kitemark affixed to an alarm shows that BSI has independently tested samples of the alarm at its accredited test laboratory for compliance with the latest safety standard.
The mark also demonstrates that BSI has assessed the place of manufacture to ensure production is controlled, sampled and checked. In addition, annual product audits are required to ensure ongoing compliance. All FireAngel alarms are BSI Kitemarked to provide the highest standards in carbon monoxide and fire safety.
Understand where carbon monoxide alarms should be placed
According to European Standard EN 50292, carbon monoxide alarms should be fitted in the same room as fuel-burning appliances, such as an open fire, gas cooker or boiler, and can be wall or ceiling mounted. It is advised that additional alarms should be located in bedrooms relatively close to the breathing zone of the occupants, whilst alarms should also be installed in any room where there is a flue running through it.
For ceiling mounted installations, the alarms should be at least 300mm away from any wall.
For wall mounted alarms, they should be at least 150mm from the ceiling and above the height of any door or window.
For both types of installations, the alarms should be between one and three metres away from the potential source of carbon monoxide, to ensure the highest standards of detection.
Carbon monoxide alarms should not be installed within enclosed spaces, directly above sinks or next to a source of ventilation, such as a door, window, extractor fan or air vent.
It is also important to ensure the alarm is not installed in a location where the temperature may exceed 40°C or drop below -10°C.
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home. For further gas safety advice and to find or check an engineer visit the Gas Safe Register website at GasSafeRegister.co.uk. Alternatively call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500.
Ian Ballinger is Head of Projects and Certification at FireAngel and sits on several technical standards committees, including the European Smoke Alarm Standards Committee and the Toxic Gas Committee. He also represents FireAngel at the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and The Council of Gas Detection and Environmental Monitoring (CoGDEM).
IOSH and the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) have signed an agreement to enable joint activities that improve working conditions and protect workers around the world.
The memorandum of understanding aligns IOSH’s vision for a safer and healthier world of work with the ILO’s main aims to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection, and strengthen social dialogue on work-related issues.
Both bodies have formally agreed to collaborate in ways that use their reach, influence, and technical and training expertise to participate in missions that achieve positive impacts through enhanced safety, health and wellbeing at work.
The ILO is the primary UN body supporting working conditions and worker protection globally in a unique tripartite structure representing workers, employers, and governments across 187 member states. For more than a century, it has set labour standards, including on occupational safety and health, developed policies and devised programmes promoting decent work for all working people.
For over 75 years, IOSH, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, has grown to become the world’s largest professional body for people responsible for the health, safety, and wellbeing of colleagues working in 130 countries in nearly every sector.
IOSH’s strategic aim is to enhance the occupational safety and health profession, collaborate to build strategic partnerships, and influence and strengthen impact globally.
Its members dedicate their working lives to preventing harm, enabling safe operations, and keeping people healthy and productive at work. IOSH networks in the Middle East, South-East Asia and West Africa extend and enhance our ability to make meaningful impacts.
Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher, Chief Executive of IOSH, said: “The agreement we have now signed builds on relationships of trust, respect and practical support that IOSH and the ILO have formed steadily over a number of years. There’s so much we can achieve as partners.
“Our shared intention to collaborate comes at a crucial moment for the world of work. People and their employers are reflecting on how to achieve sustainable, resilient ways of working and living to recover from and survive crises like climate change and pandemic.
“I am pleased IOSH and the ILO each recognise potential in combining our knowledge and global connections. We’re keen to explore how OSH professionals can intervene in places and occupations where harm is most challenging, and we look forward to working together.”
Joaquim Pintado Nunes, Chief of the Labour Administration, Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health Branch of the ILO, said:
“Occupational safety and health is at the heart of what the ILO does, advocating for decent work and engaging with governments, employers and workers to improve policy and regulatory frameworks and strengthen the institutional capacities required for sound and developed national systems. The needs we see in many countries are large scale, and collaborations such as this one will assist us to better respond to the challenges faced by our Member States.”
The ILO’s Safety + Health for All Flagship Programme seeks to improve the health and safety of workers worldwide. One of five global programmes of the International Labour Organization, the Programme mobilises government institutions, employers’ organisations, workers’ organisations and other key stakeholders to implement strategic interventions at enterprise, sectoral, national and global level.
An integral part of the Flagship Programme is the Vision Zero Fund, an initiative of the intergovernmental Group of Seven (G7) countries which aims is to prevent work-related deaths, injuries and diseases in sectors operating in or aspiring to join global supply chains. The Fund promotes a model of collective action that mobilizes a wide range of stakeholders, including global business, to develop and implement joint solutions to address endemic safety and health challenges in global supply chains. It is currently active in the agriculture, construction and garment / textiles sectors in eight countries on three continents.
As a charity registered in the United Kingdom and the world’s only Chartered organisation for safety and health professionals, with over 48,000 members worldwide, IOSH acts as an adviser, advocate, and trainer, with a training network of 2,000 organisations and 6,000 trainers, operating in 80 countries.
The recent pandemic has shown how OSH professionals have been at the heart of global efforts to limit the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic alongside all other safety, health, and wellbeing demands.
In partnership, and with a global force of occupational safety and health professionals making sure change happens on the ground, even more can be achieved for a brighter, better future.
Specially constructed deployable dog kennels have been designed by G3 Systems Ltd to improve the living conditions for military and law enforcement working dogs.
Highly trained dogs are used to protect military bases and to detect arms, ammunition and explosives. Police forces use their dogs in crime prevention, crowd control and drug detection roles, while Fire and Rescue Services often use specially trained dogs for urban search and rescue (USAR) roles. These secure accommodation units come complete with integral cooling and heating systems to help control and maintain the temperature of the animals sleeping areas.
The new air conditioned kennels have helped Britain’s military working dogs cope with the blistering summer heat of Iraq and the extreme cold of Afghanistan, as well as providing a number of Police dogs with comfortable and secure accomodation when deployed to incidents and high profile events outside their normal area of operations.
Although the dogs are extremely fit and acclimated to working under strenuous conditions, the use of air conditioning means their kennels can be thermostatically controlled to maintain a steady temperature wherever they are operating. “Returning to such kennels, often after demanding and protracted tasks, helps maintain the dogs condition” said Paul Holt, Director, Business Development for G3 Systems Limited.
These fully deployable kennels are based upon DROPS compatible 20ft ISO containers that can each house four service animals. They can be easily shipped to new operational locations and set up within a short period, enabling the handlers and their dogs to quickly assume whatever task they are being deployed for. Importantly, no hand tools are needed for the deployment and construction of these shelters.
The containers convert into kennel units through the fast assembly of mesh panels, which provide internal sleeping areas, external kennel areas, feeding preparation and storage areas with integral water and electrical distribution. There is a small working space within the container for the handlers to prepare food and complete basic administration. Storage is provided to accommodate food supplies and basic kit for handling the dogs.
Standardised componentry throughout enables the deployable kennels to be easily maintained and reduces logistics and through-life costs, while transportation containers for each dog, which are collapsible to reduce storage when not in use, also provide a safe and comfortable means of moving the animals quickly by road or air transport as required.
The kennels and transport containers, which have been engineered by G3 Systems Ltd of Portland in Dorset, UK, are completely self-contained units with all equipment designed to fit inside the container.
Clients for these innovative systems have included military units in Afghanistan and Police forces around the world.
BAFE continue to stress the importance of verifying appropriate UKAS accredited third-party certification with growing industry support.
As the nation moves towards stronger responsibility and accountability for fire safety measures, the BAFE Fire Safety Register reiterate their message on the significance of UKAS accredited third-party certification. BAFE’s “Don’t just Specify, Verify” campaign launched in March 2020 identifies the important second, and sometimes overlooked, verification stage when premises management source competent third-party certificated organisations to help comply with their fire safety obligations.
Since then, the campaign has generated substantial industry support from significant organisations including UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service), Fire Sector Federation (FSF), Construction Industry Council (CIC), with the addition of multiple Certification Bodies, Trade Associations and Professional Bodies. This unified support is testament to the quality message the campaign represents.
Lewis Ramsay, Caretaker Manager and Board Member for BAFE, points out “with most buildings now returning to near pre-covid operation, it is imperative this message is repeated in the interest of life safety. Over the last decade, BAFE have witnessed third-party certification becoming a clear stipulation for fire safety work, but it would be far more reassuring to determine if premises management are also verifying this prior to awarding any contract and letting work commence on-site. This verification process should be recorded to demonstrate full due diligence. This is a very straightforward and quick exercise which can be extremely beneficial to evidencing your own quality procedures in sourcing quality contractors to fulfil specific works.”
Discussed in multiple Government and Fire and Rescue guidance documents, third-party certification is a method of determining if an organisation has quality evidence of their competency to fulfil specific work. Government fire safety guidance documents note “Third-party quality assurance can offer comfort both as a means of satisfying you that goods and services you have purchased are fit for purpose, and as a means of demonstrating that you have complied with the law.” Importantly, this also notes the use of sub-contractors, stating to check if they “are subject to the same level of checks of quality and competence as the company you are employing.” There is a huge amount of responsibility on the shoulders of premises management (and their designated Responsible Persons/Duty Holders) which needs to be thoroughly executed.
The BAFE Fire Safety Register believe the verification of fire safety organisations is of vital importance in today’s landscape regarding specific competency within the life safety arena. Graham Watts OBE, Chief Executive of the Construction Industry Council (CIC) commented “[we] support BAFE’s Don’t Just Specify, Verify campaign because when it comes to the built environment, competency matters. UKAS Accredited Third Party Certification is an important factor when evaluating a contractor’s competency. Moving forward there is a strong requirement for consistent competence in delivering safety related works.”
Whilst BAFE schemes are available for third-party certification of contractors operating in the fire safety sector, it is important to stress this message applies to all appropriate UKAS accredited third-party certification schemes that are available to the fire safety industry. Premises management should always be looking for appropriate third-party certification and in the instance that you require specific services that BAFE schemes do not cover, it is still strongly advised to check if your chosen provider is suitably third-party certificated via another organisation.
Organisations can offer their support to the BAFE “Don’t Just Specify, Verify” Campaign by visiting the BAFE website
Further information on BAFE’s Don’t Just Specify, Verify campaign is available here
Farming partnership, J & D Foster Farms LLP, has been fined following an incident on its farm where a 21-year-old employee was killed whilst dismantling a redundant piece of farming equipment.
Folkestone Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 30 April 2019, an employee was crushed by a grain drying tunnel at Fishpond Farm in Tonbridge. The employee, George Murrell, sustained fatal injuries.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that J & D Foster Farms LLP did not ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of the two employees and that the system of work in place was intrinsically unsafe. The work involved dismantling the grain drying tunnel whilst working underneath it. The structure had heavy aggregate across the upper walkway.
The partners failed to ensure the structural integrity of the grain drying tunnel was not compromised during the dismantle, putting themselves and their employees at significant risk. This risk materialised when the structure concertinaed and fell, crushing George Murrell under the heavy aggregate and framework of the structure.
J & D Foster Farms LLP of Fishponds Farm, Upper Hayesden Lane, Tonbridge, Kent pleaded guilty to a breach of section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. They were fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,731.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Joanne Williams said: “This incident has resulted in a young man losing his life in what was a wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the company to identify their own competencies in what was basically demolition work. All too often those working in the agriculture industry take on tasks which they are not competent to do. As in this case, this work can and does result in serious and even fatal injuries.
“Every year many people are killed or seriously injured within agriculture. Those working in the agricultural sector need to ensure they consider their competency when undertaking unusual activities on farms such as dismantling and demolition. Agriculture accounts for one per cent of Britain’s workforce, but 20 per cent of worker deaths, which is an extremely grim statistic.
“Abnormal work on the farm needs to be assessed as to whether the job is within the capability of the farm workers. For demolition work, as in this case, it will likely be safer and more efficient to contract out to professionals who understand the risks associated with demolition and dismantling and can properly plan and carry out the job using the correct equipment.”
Breedon Trading Ltd has been fined for safety breaches after a fly rock projection event occurred during the use of explosives.
Llandudno Magistrates’ Court heard that, on 15 January 2020, a blast at Cwt-y-Bugail Quarry in Llan Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, North Wales, resulted in rocks being ejected outside of the danger zone.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that flyrock from the blasting operation, had landed approximately 270m away, punctured the roof of an occupied work shed, and put a hole in the outside pane of the occupied manager’s office skylight window.
It was reasonably practicable for the company to ensure that the blasting did not give rise to danger by increasing the danger zone, clearing the increased danger zone, increasing the quality and quantity of stemming for the explosives in the blastholes, and by ensuring an adequate blasting specification was produced and authorised.
HSE found that there were poor stemming practices, the written specification was prepared after the firing of the blast, and an inadequate danger zone was in place. As a result there was a projection of flyrock outside of the danger zone that caused a quarry operative to run for cover and put other employees at risk when the roof of the shed they were working in was punctured.
Breedon Trading Ltd of Pinnacle House, Breedon Quarry, Breedon on the Hill, Derby pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by virtue of the Quarries Regulations 1999, regulation 25.
The company has been fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £2,534.80 in costs.
After the hearing, HSE’s Adrian Jurg, HM Specialist Inspector of Quarries, commented: “Blasting operations at quarries are inherently high risk, and these risks must be rigorously controlled by good explosives engineering practice and in accordance with legal requirements.
“It is unacceptable that employees, and potentially members of the public, be put at serious risk of being hit by rocks that could easily lead to death or serious injury.”
The Security & Fire Excellence Awards 2021 returned this week as an eagerly anticipated in-person event at the London Hilton Park Lane. The prestigious industry event celebrates the significant achievements of those working in the UK Security and Fire Safety sectors, with NSI approved companies from around the UK once again amongst the winners and finalists.
Now in its 22nd year, the Security and Fire Excellence Awards focusses on showcasing the contribution and achievements of people, companies, teams and projects. NSI congratulates all of this year’s winners and finalists, amongst whom NSI approved companies were well represented with 26 declared as finalists and 6 taking home the top prizes in the following categories:
Champion of Champions
FGH Security Ltd
Security Installer of the Year over £5m Turnover
Total Security Protection Ltd
Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year
Magenta Security Services Ltd
Individual Lockdown Hero of the Year
Bryan Wilkins – Crown House Technologies Ltd
Active/Passive Fire Project of the Year
Plumis and MCFP Ltd with Barrow Road/ Gower Close and Les Gowing House
Cyber Security Initiative of the Year
Universal Security Systems Ltd with London Stock Exchange
Richard Jenkins. NSI Chief Executive commented: “This year’s celebratory Security & Fire Excellence Awards was another welcome opportunity to connect in person and appreciate the exceptional achievements driving our sector.
“Our congratulations go to each of this year’s winners and finalists all of whom can be proud of their accomplishments. We were once again delighted to see a strong contingent of NSI approved companies recognised in this year’s cohort for their outstanding commitment, dedication and contribution.”
Small businesses are being given free access to a new digital payment platform to help them get outstanding debts paid more quickly. Debt Register is giving fire safety and industry SMEs in the country the opportunity to load and collect up to five free outstanding debts every year by using its platform which it claims can resolve debts anything up to 10 times faster than ‘traditional’ legal action and without the unnecessary cost.
Businesses simply log onto the Fintech platform using one of their five free credits and the system takes over. It automatically contacts their debtor and in the appropriate language and time of day, requesting that the payment is settled, and ensuring the invoice is correct and not in dispute.
Should the debtor not respond or payment is not immediately forthcoming, the matter is reported to the Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs) and the debtor’s credit score negatively impacted. It is this ‘consequence’ that provides the leverage for an outstanding debt to be addressed, and on launch, initial data shows 80% of debtors engaged through the platform paid their clients directly within seven days.
Gary Brown, Founder of Debt Register, said the product and platform were created out of necessity: “SMEs often don’t have the luxury of time or a dedicated team to chase debts and they can quickly become overdue. Whereas some might eventually try to legal action, its time-consuming and costly, and outcomes are difficult to predict.
“With the accelerated payment platform we have developed, we hope to play our part in helping SMEs get paid for the work or services provided, and keep the cash flowing.”
Debt Register provides a series of tools for users including auto-translation for companies recovering debts from overseas customers. The system is intelligent, to recognise different time zones, working days and cultural nuances including national holidays or religious festivals, and times the despatch of any communications accordingly.
The platform has also been designed to streamline the payment process for the debtor with a specially designed portal providing three points of payment resolution as well as a series of tools including messaging services and payment acknowledgement tools. Debt Register is available globally and designed to suit any business regardless of industry.
Firefighters have brought a huge blaze that broke out at an industrial estate near Hull last night under control.
The fire, which started at a plastics factory sent plumes of smoke in to the air and caused some local residents to be evacuated from their homes, although some were able to remain but were advised to keep their windows closed due to the potentially toxic smoke.
Firefighters remained on the scene of the incident overnight to ensure that they had completely doused the flames. Jason Kirby, Director of People and Development at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, issues a statement on the current situation, “Our crews and partner agencies have made significant progress throughout the night and brought the fire under control. We will remain onsite today, continuing to dampen down and to monitor the incident, along with partner agencies Humberside Police, UK Health Security Agency and Environment Agency who are working with us to minimise any impact on the environment.
“The significant progress they have made by working throughout the night has meant there is now little disruption to those living and working in the area. We have reopened Priory Way and Saxon Way and local residents who were initially evacuated due to their close proximity to the incident, have been able to safely return home.”
After responding to the initial calls, 14 fire engines, one Aerial Ladder Platform and two special units (water support and incident command unit) were in attendance.
Officials have now stated that an investigation in to the cause of the fire could take several weeks.
